Cross-country walking

Off-track?

‘Off-track’ walking (i.e. cross-country; not on existing paths or marked trails) in often-remote areas is a hiking tradition not unique to this state or globally. Long before WalkGPS, in 1985 Meney & Brown’s “Forests on Foot – 40 walks…” highlighted the suitability of our parks and state forests for off-track bushwalking. In W.A. conditions, including the Perth region’s open jarrah forests and wandoo woodlands, the walkers’ activities are minimum impact and environmentally sustainable.

Why?

A key attraction of an unmarked route or walking corridor for many bushwalkers is the very fact that it is unmarked, enhancing the sense of freedom, exploration, adventure, risk and/or challenge. Others may simply be seeking the heightened appreciation of wilderness that comes with greater solitude, away from the often busy, developed trails.

WalkGPS walks

Many of the WalkGPS walk routes are either mainly off-track or have a significant off-track component. The off-track sections have been selected for walking enjoyment. But be prepared for surprises; the Australian bush is ever-changing. An initially easy, open forest walk – over a period of just a few years following a bushfire – may turn into a grim struggle through a new dense understorey of ‘Prickly Moses’!

Navigation skills

Aside from always carrying a map and compass and knowing how to use both, proficient GPS-user skills are recommended if you wish to follow the WalkGPS routes closely; the waypoints have been designed for GPS-users rather than for traditional compass navigation. A compass should always be carried as a standby, but preferably not used as the primary navigation tool as many of the waypoints and features are not distinctive landmarks; they could be missed very easily using map and compass alone.

The easiest walking between each pair of waypoints along a suggested walk route is seldom along the most direct, straight line course. When walking off-track, you need to be prepared to pick your own sensible route to the next waypoint by looking ahead and varying from a direct line to bypass local obstacles such as patches of denser, scratchy vegetation.

Map & Compass?

If you prefer traditional compass navigation, the maps on this site should still be useful to experienced bushwalkers. You can easily adapt and simplify several of the walks yourself from the maps to make them more suited to compass work (remembering to add approx. 2 degrees to grid north bearings read from the maps to correct them to current magnetic north).

WalkGPS Disclaimer

All care has been taken to make the walk descriptions and other information on this website as accurate as possible, but use of any of the information provided for viewing or download is entirely at the user’s risk. Your use of, or reliance upon, the material on this website is entirely at your own risk and it is agreed that by referencing this material you accept this condition.

WalkGPS accepts no responsibility for any loss, injury, damage, mishap or inconvenience sustained by anyone pursuing any of the activities described on this website. Personal safety is the responsibility of each walker. You must exercise your own independent judgment as to whether the walk routes suggested on this site are safe for you in the context of your fitness, training, skills and experience.

Geographical information provided for each walk on this website is for a suggested walk route only and it is up to every walker to evaluate for themselves the best and safest way to actually proceed.WalkGPS makes no representation or warranty that any material on the website, inclusive of GPS data and maps, will be accurate, reliable or complete.

All outdoor activities involve some risk of injury or death, and bushwalking in Western Australia is no exception (e.g. bushfire, bush roads, snakebite, ticks, water availability and quality, weather, heat exhaustion/heat stroke, river crossings, ankle sprains, and even unexploded ordnance (in the case of Avon Valley walks). Users of this website are expected to have a clear understanding of these dangers. The Australian bush, bush trails and vehicle tracks are also ever-changing, so you must be prepared for surprise.

Copyright
The original information provided on this WalkGPS website is copyright. Apart from any use permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, the information is for your personal use only and no part may be reproduced by any process for any third parties, nor may any other exclusive right be exercised, without the permission of Dave Osborne at WalkGPS (contact).